Article from Mikel News - St Michael’s Kelburn Parish and Community newspaper:

You might remember the local personality Narges Hamidi was nominated for Kiwibank Local Hero of the Year. Patricia Thompson goes behind the scenes to get better acquainted with one of Kelburn’s most visible characters.

While the use of recycling in sustainable living is sometimes seen as an extra (and often avoided) financial burden, over the last year Vinnies in Wellington has made efforts to prove the opposite, by opting for low-cost methods of waste disposal. This has been achieved with the help of a “Your Sustainable Workplace” audit by Sustainability Trust, a gradual elimination of the use of plastics in op shops, and the successful Re Sew programme operating since November in a space above Vinnies in Kilbirnie.

In a world where many businesses exist with profit maximisation as their primary purpose and the financial concerns of shareholders overriding those of the community, social enterprises are changing the way in which we measure success.